


Research Partners

by espioc



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Developing Relationship, I'll add tags accordingly, Pre-War, may mention interface in later chapters, probably fluff, slow development, starscream is kind of young, waaaaaaay in the past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-21 18:11:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9560903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/espioc/pseuds/espioc
Summary: Starscream has worked hard to get into The Academy of Science and Technology. He won't allow himself to be distracted.Or, at least, that's what he thinks.(The first chapter is not very good please bare with me)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this at three in the morning, I'm aware it needs more editing than I gave it. Will probably revisit. 
> 
> Everything in italics is Vosnian.

Starscream was being escorted to the lab where he would be working. The hallways were wide, and, for the most part, empty. He received stares from the occasional passerby. To those he replied with a scowl. Starscream kept his eyes forward, and his head somewhat high. He wanted to display a confidence on top of his seemingly negative attitude. 

Starscream was fairly cynical, true, but he was a scientist at spark. This was what he wanted. He was curious by nature, despite his tendency to be slightly untrusting towards other sparks. It was not so severe, but Starscream had yet to find anyone he trusted fully. He was a Vosnian seeker among Iacon science students. The likelihood of them accepting his kind was slim. The Academy of Science and Technology didn’t hold many transfer students, considering the hostility between the city-states. There were many reasons for the students to dislike the seeker. He was not one of them, he was from an “enemy” state, he was a flyer, he was intelligent, and he was pretty. Being pretty, though, was more likely to get him hit on. That was another thing he was not at all looking forward to. 

The Academy was for learning. Starscream was there to complete his studies and do research. He was going to explore the galaxy and help solve the impending energy crisis. He was going to see new species and new planets. He wanted to study new stars and come up with a renewable source of energon. He was going to produce new energon, unlike anything anyone has ever seen. 

That was his goal. That was why he worked so hard in Vos, so he could be here, the Iacon Academy of Science. The best research and education facility Cybertron had. The most prestigious school a Cybertronian could attend. It was not an easy place to get into. Starscream would not allow himself to be distracted. 

The bot escorting the new student stopped in front of their destination, “This is where you’ll be working,” he said, gesturing the door. Starscream had to pay careful attention to what the other bot was saying. The Seeker was still trying to learn the language of Iacon, so he sometimes had a hard time keeping up. He was a fast learner, though, so he assumed learning the Iacon language would not take him too long. He understood it better than he could actually speak it, so he tended to stay away from conversation, “Okay,” he said, just a bit of an accent slipping through. 

“Your partner should be here already. If he’s not just sit tight, when he gets back he’ll catch you up on the project,” the fellow student opened the door to let Starscream in. Starscream wasn’t sure what the students name was. It was something vehical-like, Wheel-- something or another. Whoever he was he seemed nice. A bit odd and a bit off, but harmless enough. 

“If you need anything, I’ll be around. Just call for Wheeljack.”

Wheeljack, that was it. That was the guy’s name. Starscream was glad he said it. 

Starscream gave a light smile, “Thank you,” he said quietly. 

Wheeljack pointed to him with a finger gun, “Any time,” he said, “and good luck,” a second later he was gone, leaving Starscream alone in the lab. 

Starscream looked around. He could not help but notice how large everything was. This lab was huge, by comparison to many of the other labs Starscream had seen upon his first tour of the academy. It was similar to a hangar. There were a few tables, and everything anyone would need to conduct endless experiments, but there was also a large door to the outside. The ceilings were high, and the space was well lit, but more garage like than lab. 

Starscream began to wonder who his partner was. 

It didn’t take long for him to find out. 

A small ruckus came from the hallways, drawing Starscream from his thoughts. A calm voice apologized to someone from behind the door. A few seconds later the door opened, revealing only about three fourths of a figure. The bot leaned down and maneuvered himself through the doorway, careful not to drop whatever it was he was holding. The massive figure struggled to get through the door, but he did eventually make it. 

Starscream found himself wide eyed at the enormous shuttle frame that now stood before him. Starscream was so distracted by the mere size of the bot, he nearly forgot that this person was most likely his partner. 

The red and white bot passed right by the seeker to place the things in his arms on the table. As soon as they were down he turned to the newcomer, “You must be Starscream!” he said happily, approaching the red bot. He put out his hand, which Starscream took. 

“I’m Skyfire,” the larger introduced himself, “Welcome to my lab.” 

Starscream was almost surprised to see such a genuine smile emerge from the bot before him. Starscream was generally met with smirks and suggestive gazes. To have someone greet him so pleasantly almost felt strange. 

“Starscream,” Starscream greeted, “But---” he had a hard time finding the right words in Iaconian, “You seem to, this-- know this already.”

 

Skyfire seemed to pause for a second. His eyes widened just slightly with thought, “I’m sorry, I forgot you were from Vos. If you ever need any assistance with you Iaconian, I would be happy to help.”

Starscream was taken aback for a moment. SInce when did anyone from Iacon take the time to learn Vosnian? To say it was surprising would be almost an understatement. 

“Thank you,” started Starscream, feeling slightly more comfortable using his own language, “I may take you up on that.” 

Skyfire smiled again, “we can speak Vosnian in the lab, if you prefer. If you feel more comfortable. I understand that being thrown in such a drastically different place can take a bit of adjusting. This is your first day, am I correct?” 

Starscream gave a slight nod, now finding himself in a smile, “My first day in the lab, yes. Speaking of which, I am still wondering what it is you’re researching.” 

“Oh, of course,” Skyfire started, leading Starscream to the equipment. The shuttle began to explain what it was they would be doing. 

Throughout the explanation Starscream kept his guard up, like he always did. Something about the setting made him feel just the slightest bit more relaxed, however. His research partner seemed trustworthy enough for now. 

Though Starscream did not like to try and predict the future, he could assume that this would be a beautiful partnership.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only read through this once, so sorry for any glaring mistakes. 
> 
> When Skyfire and Starscream are alone, they're speaking Vosnian (or however you say it) when they're around other people, or going through a lesson on how to speak Iacon, Vos is in Italics until the lesson ends. 
> 
> Alright, hope its not confusing, enjoy.

Skyfire was staring at him.

Again.

At first Starscream paid him no mind. The red bot was used to being stared at. Very few bots could resist laying their eyes on a frame like his. Skyfire was no exception. The much larger shuttle bot had been staring at him quite often over the course of their week together. It was generally in glances, though, and the occasional side eye. 

Never had he fully laid his eyes upon the seeker for such a long amount of time. Starscream let it slide, at first. It was only after nearly two hours of blank faces and occasional glances that Starscream became slightly annoyed with his lab partner. The seeker put down his datapad with an annoyed thud, and glared at his partner, “Can I help you?” he asked, the irritation showing through his tone. 

Skyfire jolted slightly, surprised, “Oh, I’m sorry-”

“You’ve been ogling over there since I got here,” Starscream turned fully to the shuttle. He leaned on the table and put a hand on his hip, waiting for an explanation.

Skyfire seemed confused by the question at first. He furrowed his brow, looking for the information he was missing. He eventually found it, “I’m sorry,” he apologized again, “I didn’t mean to stare, you just look so--”

Starscream expected one of the many things that often emerged from bots mouths, “Beautiful,” “intoxicating” “hot,” that one was less common and more crude. 

What Skyfire ended up saying was-- less than expected.

“Angry,” the shuttle confessed, “I’ve been wanting to ask you what’s wrong.”

Starscream was taken aback by the answer. That was a first. 

Starscream scowled, though not entirely on purpose, “That’s just my face,” he said, then turning back to his work, “I always look angry, but I’m not,” he smiled, looking to the shuttle once again, “Don’t worry, if I’m angry you’ll know,” he assured, well aware of what he was like when he was angry.  

Though he wasn’t “angry” generally, Starscream did to have an air of bitterness around him. It helped keep everyone away, especially the bots who found it appropriate to make advances. He resonated cynicism and gave off a very unpleasant vibe.  His EM field, though most of the time kept close to his plating, gave off a very clear message. “Leave me alone.” 

Though this may seem harsh Starscream was more hard on himself than anyone else, really. He would not, under any circumstances, allow himself to be distracted by his fellow students. By the concept of making “friends.” the closest thing Starscream had to a friend was an ally, someone to call in when the going got tough, too tough for him to handle himself. At the moment Starscream had two allies, Wheeljack, and Skyfire. Both seemed trustworthy enough for now, and neither were enough of a distraction to cut ties with. 

Starscream would not allow himself any distractions. He’d worked too hard to get where he was. 

He was thankful that his lab partner was Skyfire, though he could not help but feel a twinge of discrimination went into making that decision. Skyfire was of Iacon, as far as Starscream knew, but unlike most residents of Iacon the massive bot had a flight frame. 

It was a small matter. Starscream was just glad he could freely speak his first language in the lab. It was the only time he did any speaking, really, considering he still had quite a bit to learn about the language of Iacon. He understood it well enough, but actually speaking it was proving to be a challenge. 

Skyfire was kind enough to offer his assistance, being quite fluent in both languages. Starscream put a great amount of consideration into taking him up on that offer, but long nights in the lab, and short time in his recharge berth gave Starscream almost no time to do anything else. The offer still stood, though, no matter how much time passed. 

Skyfire offered nearly every morning, and every morning Starscream thanked him and got to work, not willing to discuss the matter much further. 

“I plan on leaving early today,” Skyfire announced, “I know you like spending time in the lab, but I think you should do the same--”

“No,” Starscream said immediately, not even allowing his partner to finish. He wrote down an observation on his datapad, “I want to finish with these samples, you go off whenever, I’ll just see you tomorrow.” Starscream waved the concerned mech off, concentrating on what he was looking at. 

Skyfire’s mouth twisted in a dissatisfied frown. His lab partner rarely left the lab, and when he did it was for a miniscule amount of recharge, and a few cubes of energon if he found the time. The shuttle bot was simply concerned for Starscream. The bot overworked himself and it was painfully obvious. 

“Our research will still be here when you get back,” Skyfire offered, trying to coax his partner into leaving early with him. 

Starscream looked up from his work and scowled, “And in that wasted time, no new research will be done.”

“Sleeping and refueling are not a waste of time, they are a necessary part of life and function. You’re a scientist, and though you don’t work on processors I’m sure you can tell me what happens to one when it is subject to a lack of sleep, and an insufficient amount of fuel.” 

Starscream sighed, annoyed, “you lack concentration, your cognitive speed slows, and your memory suffers.” he rattled off.

“And…?” Skyfire pushed, 

“And full attention is required in the lab,” Starscream gave up quietly. He hated to admit the shuttle bot was right, but he could not deny forever the point his partner was making. Starscream got even less recharge than Skyfire thought. If Starscream wasn’t in the lab working he was in his dorm reading and doing school work. He got one to two hours of recharge a night. 

Starscream frowned at his partner, “You just want me to leave early because you think I won’t be able to handle the flight in two days.”

Skyfire shrugged, “Having an exhausted research partner in the field can be dangerous.”

“We’re collecting slugs, and butterflies how dangerous can it be?” Starscream grumbled, shutting down his data pad. He then gave an over dramatic sigh, “But if it’s so important to you then fine, I’ll leave early tonight.” 

“Today,” Skyfire pressed, “I want you gone before the sun goes down.”

Starscream rolled his eyes, “Fine,  _ today,”  _ he corrected, “Satisfied?”

Skyfire smiled, “Very.” 

Starscream’s face twisted with slight discomfort as his partner stared at him, “Quit staring at me,” he demanded, turning his head away, “Don’t you have work to be doing?” the seeker mumbled something under his breath but Skyfire didn’t hear it. 

The shuttle turned back to his own work, but by then his mind was too distracted to really do anything productive. He began reading over his notes and findings, but soon found his mind lost in thought. 

He worried for his partner. Skyfire was well aware that Starscream pushed himself too far, and Skyfire understood why. The seeker was from Vos. He was a flight frame who barely spoke the language of Iacon, and he was a young transfer student. It was likely Starscream would have to do what he did ten times better to get half the recognition. The flyers mind was brilliant. It was bright and ever working, thinking and planning, taking into consideration every option, three steps ahead of his own research, and ready to leap right back into an experiment after failure. Starscream didn’t have time for failure. Flight frames were meant for fighting, or delivery, they were not created to be educated. Skyfire was lucky, he was a shuttle frame, which made him useful  for research. He could travel off planet while hauling tools and equipment, and his mind worked well enough for him to do this research on his own or with a partner. He was glad to have a partner after spending two years alone. 

Skyfire didn’t want to get too into Starscream’s business. If he wanted to work himself to death that was his decision. Skyfire just thought if he could at least help prevent that he would. He wouldn’t push. Just...encourage Starscream to take part on somewhat more healthy behaviors.

Skyfire couldn’t concentrate on his work, so he stopped trying. Instead he went back to watching the seeker. Starscream did look angry. His brow furrowed with thought, and rarely did the red bots lips twist into a smile, even when he made a new observation, yet to be recorded. He concentrated, barely taking his eyes off the research papers downloaded on his data pad. 

Skyfire watched as Starscream made his way over to a shelf, eyes still locked on his data pad. The red bot looked up, scanning the shelf for whatever it was he needed. Most of the things in this lab were Skyfire’s size. That was something the shuttle decided he needed to fix, considering his new lab partner was considerably smaller than him. 

Starscream found that what he needed was on the top shelf. He scowled, annoyed. Skyfire, noticing this, got up, ready to help his partner get whatever it was he needed. His assistance was unneeded however, when Starscream simply activated the thrusters in his heels and floated up until he could reach. He looked around for a second, making sure there was nothing else on any other tops shelves he needed, before letting himself float back down to the floor. 

Skyfire was not used to having a lab partner who could fly. It was a strange experience, having someone in his lab who could reach everything he could. There were almost no flight frames in Iacon. It was somewhat of a lonely existence, flying alone.The strange feeling was soon overtaken by a good one. Skyfire finally had someone to share the skies with. 

Starscream climbed back onto his stool. He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that Skyfire was staring at him. The seeker looked to his partner, confused, but also slightly annoyed. Now the shuttle was  _ really  _ ogling at him. 

“What?” the seeker asked, less annoyed than earlier. 

This time Skyfire’s trance did not break. He spoke, soft eyes still set on the seeker, “I’m sorry,” he apologized softly, “I forgot you could fly,” he said, then letting out a small laugh, “I know that’s dumb of me. I’m just not used to having another flight frame in my lab.”

Starscream let out a stiff “hm,” turning back to his work, “Well that’s why they put us together, isn’t it?” he said, something similar to anger just making it’s way onto his tone. 

Skyfire seemed surprised by this, “Does that upset you?”

“No.” Starscream wrote something down, “Have you done anything today, Skyfire, or have you just spent these last four hours staring at me?” 

Skyfire checked the time, “Has it been four hours already?” he asked, not sure where the time had gone. 

Starscream rolled his eyes but said nothing, “Are you finished with those samples?” he asked, pointing to one of the samples Skyfire had been working on. 

Skyfire looked to his work space, “No, I’m still working on them.” he answered quickly, then looking back to Starscream, “What are you doing after this, Starscream?” the shuttle asked. 

“Studying,” Starscream answered bluntly, setting aside another sample and moving onto the next one, “Can you hurry up with those, please, I want to finish recording before I leave today. Which is much harder now that you’ve given me a deadline.” Starscream checked the time, “An hour and a half before sunset, plenty of time.” then he mumbled, “If you’d hurry up and quit gawking at me.” 

Skyfire puffed out a small laugh at the comment before getting back to work. 

They managed to finish everything Starscream wanted to get done within the hour. Skyfire returned the samples to their resting spot before preparing to take his leave. 

Starscream remained on his stool, looking over his datapad.

“Ready?” Skyfire inquired, not wanting to leave the seeker in the lab alone, well aware that, given the chance, Starscream would stay there all night. 

Starscream waved him off, “I’ll leave in a few minutes,” he lied. The seeker jumped when he felt a large hand touch his shoulder. He looked to see Skyfire leaning down to him, “I know you won’t.” the shuttle said, in a more serious tone than Starscream was expecting. 

Starscream scowled and shrugged the hand off, “Fine,” he grumbled, then leaping from the stool. 

The two exited the lab together. They walked down the hallway in the same direction until Starscream decided it best to part ways, “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he grumbled, eyes still glued to his data pad. 

“Starscream,” Skyfire called for him, hesitance in his voice. 

The seeker stopped and blindly turned to his partner, “What is is?” he asked, finally looking up at his datapad. 

“I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me and Wheeljack, and possibly a few others to the bar,” the shuttle offered.

Starscream seemed almost confused by the offer. He shook it off and gave an answer, “No-- no, I think I’ll be okay,” he turned to leave, but was thwarted when he walked right into someone’s chest. 

“Whoops,” said Wheeljack, leaning down to help the seeker to his feet, “I didn’t expect ya to run right into me, sorry about that Starscream.” he apologized, offering his hands for the seeker to take. The grounder lightly grabbed the fellow students elbow, helping him to his pedes. 

Starscream rubbed his nose, “It’s fine,” he said, only having caught half of what Wheeljack said. 

“Wanna come with us to the bar?” Wheeljack offered, “Skyfire, Percy and I are headed there now.”

Starscream looked to his partner, “Is this why you leave early?” he asked, scowling, “Hardly worth it it seems.” 

Skyfire shrugged, “ _ Everyone could use a break,”  _ he said, surprising Starscream with his use of Vosnian outside of the lab, “  _ Including you, Starscream, though you refuse to admit it.”  _

Starscream crossed his arms, turning full to his partner, “ _ I take breaks,”  _ he said, finding it easier to argue in his own language. He scoffed, annoyed that his partner would take time away from the lab for something as trivial as spending time with allies. Starscream picked up the datapad which he had dropped, and began stomping back to the lab, “ _ I’m going back to the lab,”  _ he huffed. 

Skyfire, not wanting to lose the seeker, rushed to catch up with the bot and impede his path, “ _ okay, forget the bar, you still should get some rest.”  _

Starscream’s face scrunched up with annoyance, “ _ get out of my way, I’ve still got a few things to get done.” _

_ “Starscream, if you go back, you won’t be in your room for another six hours. I know this. I’ve seen it before.”  _

Starscream rolled his eyes, “ _ Please,”  _ he spat, “ _ What do you know?” _

Skyfire scowled slightly, “ _ There are cameras. In our lab,”  _ he said somewhat testily. 

Starscream’s face twisted from surprise, to embarrassment, back to a scowl within a two second time period, “ _ Some research takes late nights.”  _ he defended.

“ _Starscream, I’ve been working on this project for two years now, and I can tell you I’ve never spent_ _as late a night in that lab in those two years as you have in one week.”_

_ “Well maybe that’s why you’re not finished with this project yet.”  _ the seeker spat. 

The two proceeded to argue whether or not Starscream should really be staying in the lab that late. It was not a loud argument, but certainly a noticeable one considering both were speaking Vosnian. 

Wheeljack stood and stared, curious as to what they were saying and where this was going. Perceptor eventually joined his friend and took part in watching the scene before them. Watching the very large shuttle frame leaning down to, and seemingly attempting to reason with, a very fiery Vosian seeker was quite a spectacle. The fact that they were arguing in an entirely different language made it just that much more interesting. 

“What is this?’ Perceptor eventually asked, “What’s going on here?”

“Skyfire and his new lab partner seem to be having a bit of a tiff.”

“...Do you have any idea what they’re saying?”

Wheeljack shook his head, “Not a clue.”

There was a pause. 

“Who do you think is winning?” Perceptor asked, never taking his eyes off the scene. 

“My Money’s on Screamer.” 

Perceptor finally looked to the other bot, ‘Is that his name?”

“No, it’s Starscream. He’s that new student from Vos.”

Perceptor let out a stiff hum, “Well I could have guessed that.” 

The argument ended with a stiff puff of frustration from the seeker, “Fine,” he said in the iacon language, “I will go with you to you-- bar. But this once only!”

Skyfire smiled, “Great. And Maybe afterwards I can help you with you Iacon. I don’t plan on staying too late.”

Starscream scoffed, “ _ Don’t push your luck _ .”  he turned around but didn’t start walking until Skyfire did. The pair approached their fellow scientists. Skyfire kept on a light smile, while his less than keen colleague set his features into a light scowl. 

Perceptor smiled at their approach. He had yet to meet the transfer student from Vos everyone had been talking about, “You must be Starscream,” he greeted pleasantly, putting a hand out to the bot, “I’m Perceptor, Wheeljack’s lab partner.”

Starscream eyes the hand a moment before shaking it, “Pleased to meet you.”

Perceptor was taken aback for a second by the accent. He’d never actually met anyone from Vos before, so he was curious to learn about the new student. 

Starscream couldn’t quite put his finger on what he’d just said. He knew the vague translation, and he knew it was what one said in Iacon upon meeting a new bot, so he just went with it. He began to rethink Skyfire’s earlier offer. 

The group of four made their way to Maccadam’s and grabbed a booth. 

They discussed current projects and relayed the stories of today and past. Skyfire laughed over another one of Wheeljack’s inventions blowing itself up while Perceptor just scowled, “It’s not as funny when you’re in the lab with him when it happens,” he said, still slightly peeved from earlier that Wheeljack’s failed fiddling had contaminated one of the slides he was looking at. 

“Oh, come now Perceptor, it can’t be that difficult to collect another sample,” Skyfire commented, coming down from his laugh, “What do you need? I could collect it for you. Starscream and I are set to go on a field day a couple of days from now.”

“Where are you going? It was a sample from the sea of rust, if you’re anywhere near there.”

Skyfire brightened slightly, “So you’ve picked up that project! What are you studying exactly?” he inquired.

“We’re seeing what kind of energy it gives off and whether or not it’s usable.”

“Oh…” Skyfire perked slightly, “I imagine you’d have more than one specimen then, considering.” 

“Yes, you’d think, but unfortunately circumstances forced our day in that area to come to an abrupt end.” he shot a glare to Wheeljack. 

“How was I supposed to know that Liquid Nitrogen would react so badly--”

“You shouldn’t have had liquid nitrogen with you in the first place!” Perceptor argued, not even letting his partner finish, “But that’s besides the point,” he said, calmer now, “We also want to study it’s contents to see what might have happened to the region. There’s still a  lot of mystery surrounding it.” 

Skyfire nodded, “I wish you luck then. Unfortunately we won’t be anywhere near there. We’re headed to the Manganese mountains.” 

“What are you collecting?” Wheeljack asked

“Cyber butterflies and, as Starscream refers to them, Slugs.” 

Starscream looked up from his drink at the mention of his name. 

Wheeljack pretended to be surprised, “Oh look, it’s alive,” he joked. Starscream hadn’t said a single word in the entire time they’d been there. He remained fairly reserved, keeping to himself on the edge of the booth. 

Starscream wasn’t sure how to reply to this. He smiled sheepishly and went back to nursing his drink. 

“Aaand, it’s gone again,” Wheeljack continued to joke, “Come on, Screamer, join the party. I’m sure you’ve got some interesting stories from back on Vos,” the scientist leaned forward slightly, “I’ve always kinda wondered what it was like up there.”

“Uh,” Starscream hesitated, unsure of what to say, “Is-- not that exciting,” he finally spit out, then quickly put the drink to his lips to shut himself up. 

Perceptor leaned forward slightly, “Even still, we’d still love to hear about it. Is it true everyone there is a flight frame?”

Starscream simply nodded. 

“Amazing,” Perceptor sighed, just thinking about it, “Is everyone's frame similar to yours?”

“Perceptor!” Wheeljack called, believing the question to be inappropriate. 

Perceptor waved him off, “Oh, calm down, it was a fair question.”

“Yer not exactly endearing yourself to the new guy here, Percey”

Starscream answered the question anyways, “No, there are-- many frame type on Vos,”

“Interesting,” Perceptor noted, “I’m sorry if the question offended you.”

“Ah, no...That is one of common questions.”

Perceptor looked over the bot for a second, “I’m sorry,” he apologized again, “I don’t think I realized you were still having trouble speaking the Iacon language,” he laughed sheepishly, “I’m sorry if I--  overwhelmed you.”

Starscream’s brow furrowed with confusion as he shook his head, “No, you are fine.” he said, waving off the concern, though secretly wishing they would slow down. Skyfire slowed down. The seeker want anything excessive, he didn’t want to be talk to like a five stellar cycle old with hearing problems. Good articulation always helped, though. 

Perceptor then looked to Skyfire, suddenly realizing something, “You speak Vosnian,” he pointed out, “When did that happen?”

“I’ve known how to speak the language of Vos for ages,” answered the shuttle, seemingly surprised that Perceptor didn’t already know this, “I wanted to feel closer to my fellow flight frames.” 

Perceptor leaned back slightly, “Well, I suppose that’s one reason.” he mumbled, mostly to himself. 

Starscream finished off his drink and looked to Skyfire, “ _ I think I’m going to get going.”  _ he said. 

Skyfire seemed surprised by this, “ _ Already?”  _ he asked, “ _ We’ve only been here an hour.”  _

_ “An hour is enough for me,”  _ Starscream stood from the booth and waited a moment for Skyfire to reply. 

Skyfire looked to his companions, “Sorry guys,” he apologized, “I’m going to fly Starscream back to campus,”

The two other scientist didn’t seem too phased by their leave, waving them goodbye and saying they’d see each other tomorrow. 

“ _ Ready?”  _ asked Skyfire pleasantly, standing from the booth.  

Starscream seemed confused by this, “ _ I didn’t ask you to fly me home,”  _ he said, “ _ I want to go back to my room and study.”  _

_ “You and I are going back to my apartment and practicing your Iacon.” _

Starscream crossed his arms as they walked out of the bar, not horribly fond of being bossed around, “ _ I have my doubts about your qualifications,”  _ he voiced, holding the door for his companion. 

Skyfire gave a small laugh in reply to the comment, “I have, on more than one occasion, been a substitute for the Vosnian, Kaon and Iacon introductory courses. I’m sure I’m qualified enough to teach someone who already knows a great deal of the language already.” he smiled down at the ever bitter bot.

Starscream scowled, but didn’t argue, “I’d rather we go to my room, though.” he looked up at the massive bot before him, “I don’t trust being alone in a strangers apartment.”

“I’d love to-- but--” the Shuttle seemed to be slightly embarrassed, reluctant to say what was on his mind, “I'm afraid I don't quite...Fit. in the dorms.” 

It took Starscream a second to process what the bot had said, “I see,” he said after a moment, then drawing back into his mind to find another option, “I’d still prefer we find neutral territory, if it's all the same to you.” 

“If that’s the case, then why don’t we head back to the lab?” Skyfire suggested, “I’ll have to get some materials from my apartment first, but I can meet you there.”

Starscream smirked, “You really trust me to go back to the lab by myself?” he asked, knowing that if returned to the lab it would be to continue working. Starscream was honestly surprised, if not slightly annoyed, by how flexible this mech was. It had been a week since the two met and they’d hardly shared an informal word yet. Mostly it was “pass me that sample,” or “What did you find on this?” their lab time remained practically silent otherwise. This was the first time the two had had a proper conversation. It was the first day anyone initiated it. The closest they came before this was when Skyfire informed Starscream of their trip into the field. 

Skyfire was a kind sparked bot, but he was somewhat quiet and otherwise reserved. He often kept a light smile on his face at any given moment, however gave no other indication as to what he was feeling. Starscream somewhat enjoyed hearing the shuttle speak, on the rare occasion he did. Skyfire had such a pleasant voice. It was calm and laced with patience, which was a relief to the seeker. It was certainly better than listening to the sound of his own voice all day. 

“I don’t trust you in the lab by yourself,” Skyfire admitted, “But I do trust you to stop working if I ask nicely.”

The seeker hummed, slightly entertained by this answer, “No promises, but I suppose it doesn’t hurt to try. I’ll meet you there,” with that he took off into the sky, leaping into jet form and leaving Skyfire alone on the streets of Iacon. 

Starscream was too quick for Skyfire to catch up with, and he was gone before the shuttle could even think of transforming. So Skyfire just watched as his partner flew away, entranced by how graceful of a flyer the red jet was. Skyfire found himself in a wide smile as Starscream disappeared into the city. 

Skyfire shook away his trance before leaping into the sky and heading to his apartment. 

His off campus house was just large enough for him to fit in. It was simple. Undecorated and non personalized. Skyfire didn’t have much to personalize it with. The closest he came to a personal item was one of the first slides he ever took. It was snip from a cyber butterfly wing. Nothing special. The rest of the apartment was littered with old data pads from past and current projects. They sat in small piles against the walls, most taking refuge in his room.

Besides that the apartment was practically empty. There were two rooms, if one could call them separate rooms. The only thing separating them was two thin slices of wall on either side of the “Doorway.” the first room was meant to be a sitting room, but it didn’t have any furniture. There was a vid-screen, but Skyfire never used it. The other room was the berth room, which harbored nothing but an immense berth and stacks of data pads. 

Skyfire made his way to one of the stacks and started sifting through it. He found one of the items he was looking for, but had a difficult time finding the other data pad he’d stopped to get. 

Eventually Skyfire gave up and grabbed something else. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. 

The shuttle took off for the lab, data pads in hand.

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Starscream rolled his eyes, “How many, do I have to be saying this?” he asked, “I know well enough now.” he argued, growing tired of repeating the same thing over and over again. 

The two were seated on the floor on a far corner of the lab. Neither was sure how they ended up there, but there they were. It was a comfortable place for both, as neither felt like they were looking up or down at the other. At least not to the extent they would be if they both sat on the stools. 

“I understand it just fine,” Starscream continued to complain, “Can we be done, we can?”

“Not yet, just a few more phrases and we’ll be done,” Skyfire promised. 

Starscream sighed, annoyed. He took to laying on the ground beside his lab partner, who was leaning against the wall. Starscream laid so his side was parallel to the wall and the top of his head was resting beside Skyfire’s hip. The seeker looked up at the massive bot. He felt slightly intimidated, but not enough to move. 

“Let just get this finished with, this is first time I’ve ever gotten tired of being in here.”

“Lab,” Skyfire said. 

“I know the words for lab,” Starscream snapped, “I tell you, I’ve done good with most of this.” 

“You sound worse the more you speak.”

Starscream scowled, “That is rude,” he pointed out, “I know words for that, see?” 

“Starscream, you only say common phrases you remember you’re supposed to say,” Skyfire pointed out, “That’s what I’ve noticed. You have beautiful articulation in Vos, I just want you to communicate with everyone as well as you communicate with me.”

Starscream scoffed, “I don’t see how they care, is not if anyone likes me here. I only learn Iacon so I can understand them. Not other way around.” 

Starscream didn’t speak a lot in the first place, and the Iacon language didn’t feel right in his mouth, so he was in no rush to properly learn it when he spoke the language well enough. The only downside to this was he didn’t sound as intelligent as he was. People laughed at his crude accent and his misuse and missing words. Some of his fellow students talked in loud voices and slow tones, heavily pronouncing every word. 

Starscream didn’t like being taken as soft in the head. He was much smarter in Vosnian, but of course no one here would know that. No one but Skyfire that is. 

The truth was Starscream was anxious to learn the language of Iacon. He was just tired and being difficult. 

“I was thinking you were the one who wanted me to be recharging more often.” Starscream said, looking up at the shuttle, “Change you mind?”

“Your,” Skyfire corrected, “Change your mind. And no, I didn’t, it’s not that late.”

Starscream closed his eyes, getting comfortable on the floor, “ _ Check again, big guy.”  _

“What did I say about speaking Vos?” Skyfire warned before checking his internal clock. 

The shuttle jumped at how late it was, “I guess I was wrong,” he admitted, “But I’d still like to get through this before we leave. Just a few more phrases, I’m sure you can manage.” he urged, going back to the datapad, “Repeat after me,  _ what time is it?” _

Starscream took a moment to think, “What-- is the time.” he said. 

“Close, try again, What time is it.”

“What time is it.”

“You need to work on your accent.”

“You need to work on your teaching methods.

“The time is. What does that mean?”

“ _ The time is.”  _

“Good. Now say it in Iacon.”

Starscream sighed, getting tired of this, “The time is,” he repeated. 

“Again,”

“ **The time is.”** Starscream said, trying harder to pronounce it correctly. 

“So, What time is it?”

“The time is,” Starscream checked his internal clock and repeated what it said. 

“Good, now ask me what time it is.”

“What is the time,” Starscream asked, not really invested and barely trying to pronounce it correctly. 

“Starscream,” Skyfire groaned, “Come on, you did it thirty astro seconds ago.

Starscream let out a light growl, annoyed. He sat up and looked at his partner, “I’m tired.” he proclaimed. 

“That’s unfortunate. What time is it?”

Starscream growled again, “Continue tomorrow.” he proposed. 

“Finish today.” Skyfire countered. 

Starscream twisted in his seat until he was sitting cross legged and facing his teacher, “At this rate I’ll be sleeping here.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time. You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”

“What time is it?”

Skyfire smiled, “Time to leave.” he answered, finally letting the seeker go. 

Starscream sighed, flying to his feet, “Finally,” 

Skyfire joined his partner in a stand, “You’re really not that bad,” he complimented as they began walking towards the door, “Hopefully we’ll continue these lessons.”

“ _ Can I speak Vos now?.” _

Skyfire smiled, “ _ Of course.”  _

_ “ _ Finally! I can’t have an intelligent conversation in that language of yours.”

“You will if you keep studying.”

Starscream scoffed, “Yes, I’m sure I will. By the time I’m finished learning I’ll be able to speak it better than anyone in this academy. Including you.”

Skyfire chuckled, “I’m sure you will. I’m glad you’ve decided not to stay in the lab all night.”

“You’ve made me grow tired of it. I just want to get back to my berth. Where’s your apartment, I’ll fly you home.”

Skyfire shook his head, “It’s fine--”

“No. I think I’d prefer our lessons take place somewhere more-- comfortable. I want to see what I’m getting into before I get into it. I’m turning your residence into neutral ground.”

Skyfire wasn’t entirely sure how to take this. He decided it best to just go with it. He’d offered his apartment up in the first place after all, “Alright,” he agreed after a moment. 

So they flew to his apartment. 

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Starscream was unimpressed, “Roomy,” he said a few seconds after entering, “And empty.”

“I-- don’t usually have guests,” Skyfire said, growing somewhat sheepish with someone else in his apartment. Especially this late. 

“I could have guessed that,” Starscream grumbled, looking around at all the data pads. He looked back to his partner, “I should probably leave now, shouldn’t I.” he stated, not exactly as a question. 

Again, Skyfire was at a loss, “You could have a cube,” he offered, “Before you go. You did come all the way here.”

Starscream smiled, “Thank you, but I’ll have to decline. I’ve seen what I came to see, and now I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Yes,” Skyfire said quickly, following Starscream to the door, “See you tomorrow.”

Starscream turned to his partner before going through the door, “We can-- have another lesson tomorrow, right?” he asked, more hesitant and less confident than his usual self.

Skyfire was taken aback by the sudden change in character. He smiled, “Of course,” he said softly, “We can meet here after class.”

Starscream seemed to brighten at this, putting on a soft smile  “Wonderful. Goodnight, Sky.”

“Goodnight Star” Skyfire wished, opening the door and letting his partner out. 

As soon as the door was closed Skyfire let out a vent he didn’t know he’d been holding in. He turned with relief and fell onto the door, sliding down a second later to sit on the floor. A small smile creeped across his lips at the thought of seeing Starscream again. 

 

\----------------------------

 

Starscream didn’t remember the journey back to his dorm. He just remembered the urgency to get back to it. 

  
He stepped inside, closing the door quickly behind him so he could just as soon sit against it. His vents heaved from the journey, but only one thought stuck in his mind. The seeker could hardly wait for tomorrow, when he got to see Skyfire again.

 

 


End file.
